


Ex's Birb Adventure

by Pendles_is_friendles



Series: Alls the Thralls [9]
Category: Battleborn (Video Game)
Genre: Birbs, Birds, Dress, Ex becomes a non-affiliated-with-any-specific-corporation princess, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-24 23:16:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17713544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pendles_is_friendles/pseuds/Pendles_is_friendles
Summary: Near identical siblings go on a shopping trip and an inside joke shared between them goes too far.  A little Hex magic summons birds and haresburras to finally get Ex put into their scrapbook of successful pranks and bad fashion.





	Ex's Birb Adventure

The thin fabric between her fingers may as well as not even exist. Hex could not help but crinkle her nose as she inspected the dress on the rack, struggling to decide whether the soft, delicate silk matched her ideals of femininity. It caught on the callouses built up from whipping Varelsi with her silvery cane; surely their claws would just tear the poor thing to shreds.

But, the bored groaning of her brother brought a delighted smirk to her face. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched his shoulders drop in the sheer boredom of their shopping trip. Ex had promised to take her out to the stalls and shops of the quarter of a ship that served as this corner of the Detritus Ring's mall. And she intended to make the most of it after he left her cleaning up the aftermath of an ill-fated drinking contest.

Their poor bathroom had not been prepared for a sick thrall.

However, a mere shopping trip would not repay that debt. Hex had to figure out a better punishment for him. "Ya know, I ain't sure this one'll look right..." she hummed, presenting the soft, pink frills of the dress's hem to him, cocking her horned head in his direction. "I could try it on, but I won't get to see how it looks, ya know?"  
Ex's brow cocked, his eyes subtly flicking from the satin fabric to the puffy sleeves then to his near-identical sister. He hopped back, his light eyes widening when it hit him. That thing was so damned ugly and this fancy cut simply did not match her dark, and somewhat creepy aesthetics. Why was it so... shiny? A nervous smile spread across his face. This had to be for the book. The one he started to collect the myriad ridiculous outfits that he had convinced Drex to wear; the very same one that contained the records of the few mishaps of Hex's assorted questionable fashion choices. The one that Ex had managed to avoid getting himself into. "Why that one? Wouldn't you rather see the black one? Or even this burgundy one?"

Hex pouted, but could not hid the mischief gleaming in her squinted eye or along the cracks of her horn. "But, I like this one. C'mon, 't's not like anyone will see you..."  
"Nuh-uh, you're just gonna take a pic of me tearin' that thin' tryin' ta wear it..."  
With a chuckle, she held up both hands. Surely the shop owner would not mind her borrowing a few of the feathery boas on the shelf and a bit of the harresburra fur trim and leather? Naturally, a few of her leather knife sheathes could help... Each item dissolved into thin air with a wiggle of her fingers. Soon, several small birds and two harresburra sprang from her palms. 

In that moment, Ex knew two things: 

One: that he could never outrun Hex, her whip and those weird magic animals of hers.

Two: He couldn't get a picture into that book, he had a clean record to maintain.

Some of the birds beeped at each other, bobbing their heads as one struggled to nip at the crest of the other. One of the harresburras hopped up to rub its face against her finger. "Yeah, but it'll be a great picture ta add ta the collection, don't ya think?"

Ex turned heel and booked it towards the first door in reach and came horn tip to horn tip with his own reflection. Cornered, in a dressing room.  
In a flurry of unnaturally bright fur and feathers, Ex struggled to slap away the onslaught of tiny animals as beaks tore at his black tee shirt.

At the tip of her fingers, Hex held up the awful dress for the birds that remained perched on her horns. She chortled as they gathered up the puffed sleeves into their black claws and fluttered into the battle of the dressing room. Once the hem of the dress disappeared behind the door, Hex leaned against the door to hold it closed until they were done.   
Despite the chirps, snarls and slams behind her, she inspected her nails, the blood red polish remained unmarred from the days activities. When the Lorrian cashier peered over their wedding magazine in her direction, Hex shrugged and thumbed at the door with a shake of her head. "Trouble wit' the girdle, I reckon." 

The cashier's four eyes blinked in tired succession before shrugging in return and returning their focus back to their reading.

As Hex rolled her eyes, her gaze fell upon a sparkling gold tiara nestled on a dark velvet pillow display. Clicking her tongue, a lime green budgie flapped up and onto her horn. "Get that one too, okay lovie?"

Interrupting its beak tapping, the budgie glided over to the display and plucked up the shimmering crown and flew it over the walls of the dressing room. 

After a few moments the noise died down and one by one the rainbow of birds gathered along Hex's horns and the two harresburra scampered up her cape into her pocket. "Aww, you babies did such a good job," she purred, giving them kissing noises. Slipping her holo out from its pouch on her belt and pressing the camera button on the screen, she lifted herself off of the door. "Let's see the damage, yeah?"

A creak escaped from the hinge as the door slowly opened. Brows furrowed and a small growl escaping his deep frown, Ex stepped out of the dressing room. His eyes blinked as the flash went off, the Hex's chortle unmistakable. 

The dress was honestly perfect on him. Puff sleeves accentuated his broad shoulders and brought out his collarbones; the sweeping skirt hung off of his narrow waist, giving him an hourglass figure to die for. Even the satin pink glimmered beautifully against his magenta skin. Despite the tiara's jaunty angle on top of his curved crest, it proved the cherry on top of this pretty sundae.

He looked like a princess from those awful cartoon movies.

"Aww, it don't look that bad on ya..." she pointed out as she took his tight, balled fist into her hand to lead him towards a floor length mirror. Leaning against him, she put an arm around him and snapped a quick picture of them all. 

Ex's expression softened as he looked in the mirror. The dress certainly was not his style; a simple black tee and thick leather jacket matched the sharp spikes adorning his curved, flame painted horns much better. However, despite how horrible it looked on the hanger, It hung on him well. "Hm."   
Hex cocked her brow, her smile still tugging at the corner of her lips. "Hm?"

With a glance to Hex, then to her conjured birds, then to the several clothing items that were missing their feathery and furry trims, the corners of Ex's mouth twitched downward. "You got the credits for all this?" he asked with a tilt of his head and behind his hand. "'Cause I sure as hell don't and our Lorrian buddy's been eyein' us."  
She peeked over her shoulder, every bird turning their head to follow suit to meet the gaze of two of the Lorrian's eyes. "Naw, I don't got that kind of cash. Drex said he needed us ta cut back on spendin' 'cause you broke the toilet the other night."

Taking the tiara between his thumb and forefinger with one hand, Ex lifted his skirt with the other. Silence settled as his muscles tensed. "Meet me at the jellyfish restaurant in an hour?"

For sure, the two thrall could out run a single Lorrian. 

Unsure how long the conjuration would last this time, Hex gathered the budgies into her palm to settle into her pocket with the fur trimmings that once were harresburras for safety. With only a few flaps and beeps of protest, she was ready. "Sure. Order me the noodles, yeah?"

"Right! See ya soon!" With a tiara'd wave, Ex dove through a display window and scrambled off into the ducking crowd outside; the ruffles of the dress flowing with every click of   
his hooves.

Hex barked, diving through the broken window and booking it in the opposite direction.


End file.
